Drugs & Medication

Mineral oil or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a chemically inert, transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes and cyclic paraffins, related to white petrolatum. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores.

Contents 1 Applications 2 Measurement 3 Other names 4 Sources

Applications

• Refined mineral oil is used as transformer oil.
• Mineral oil is used to store and transport alkali metals. The oil prevents the metals from reacting with atmospheric moisture.
• Personal care:
  • Mineral oil is sometimes taken orally as a laxative. It lubricates feces and intestinal mucous membranes, and limits the amount of water removed from feces. Typically, mineral oil is effective within six hours. While it has been reported that mineral oil may be absorbed when emulsified, most information shows that it passes harmlessly through the gastrointestinal system.
    • If used at all, mineral oil should never be given internally to small children, pets, or anyone with a cough, hiatus hernia, or nocturnal reflux, and should be swallowed with care. Due to its low density, it is easily aspirated into the lungs, where it cannot be removed by the body and can cause serious complications such as lipoid pneumonia.[1] While popular as a folk remedy, there are many safer alternatives available.
  • Mineral oil with added fragrance is marketed as 'baby oil' in the US, UK and Canada.
  • Used as an ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments and other pharmaceuticals and low-grade cosmetics.
  • Can also be used on eyelashes to prevent brittleness and/or breaking.
  • Used in small quantities (2-3 drops daily) to clean ears. Over a couple of weeks, the mineral oil softens dried or hardened earwax so that a gentle flush of water can remove it. In the case of a damaged or perforated eardrum, however, mineral oil should not be used, as oil in the middle ear can lead to ear infections.
• Lubrication
• Fuel, for items such as oil lamps.
• Electric mineral-oil-filled space heaters
• Coolant
• Automotive and aviatation brake fluid that does not absorb water molecules by osmosis
• Low viscosity mineral oil is sold as a preservative for wooden cutting boards and utensils.
• A coating of mineral oil protects metal surfaces from moisture and oxidation.
• Food-preparation butcher block surfaces are often conditioned periodically with mineral oil.
• Light mineral oil is used in textile industries and used as a jute batching oil.
• Mineral oil is used to darken soapstone countertops for aesthetic purposes.
• It works (albeit poorly) as a release agent for molds, especially in fiberglass casting.
• It is used as a release agent for baking pans and trays.
• It is occasionally used in the food industry (particularly for candy). Some studies suggest that prolonged use might be unhealthy because of low accumulation levels in organs. It has been discouraged for use in children's foods, though it is still occasionally found in candies in China and Canada.
• Used as a cleaner and solvent for inks in fine art printmaking as well as in oil painting, though turpentine is more often used.
• It can be used as a solvent for solid samples during Infrared spectroscopy.
• Petrobras is mixing mineral oil and vegetable oil to produce a new biodiesel known as H-Bio, which may greatly increase its market value

Measurement

Mineral oil can be measured by SAE standard kinematic oil viscosity, said to be the oil's "weight."

Other names

• adepsine oil
• alboline
• baby oil
• bayol 55
• Cable oil
• bayol f
• blandlube
• blandol white mineral oil
• carnea 21
• clearteck
• crystol 325
• crystosol
• Diala-X, AX
• drakeol
• Electrical Insulating Oil
• Ervol
• filtrawhite
• fonoline
• frigol
• glymol
• Heat-treating oil
• hevyteck
• Hydraulic oil
• hydrocarbon oils
• jute batching oil
• kaydol
• kondremul
• kremol
• LHM
• lignite oil
• liquid paraffin
• Lubricating oil
• Master Shimmer
• Mineral oil (saturated parrafin oil)
• Mineral oil hydrocarbon solvent (petroleum)
• mineral oil mist
• Mineral oil, aromatic
• Mineral oil, paraffinic
• Mineral Seal Oil
• Molol
• neo-cultol
• Nujol
• oil mist
• oil mist, mineral, severely refined
• Oil mist, refined mineral
• oil, petroleum
• paraffin oil (class)
• paraffin oil
• parol
• paroleine
• peneteck
• penreco
• perfecta
• petrogalar
• petrolatum
• petroleum hydrocarbons
• petroleum, liquid
• primol
• primol 355
• primol d
• protopet
• Saxol
• tech pet f
• triona b
• Uvasol
• Univolt N60, 80
• Voltesso 35
• white mineral oil
• white oil

Sources

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Safe handling of Alkali Metals